LeEco Smart 3D TV Review: Luxury redefined affordably

After a rough patch, LeEco is slowly regaining its position as the disruptive electronics maker in India with the launch of three new televisions from the Super4 series. The three new models launched in India on Thursday cater to different type of customers, starting with the base model – the Super4 X40 – followed by Super4 X43 Pro and Super4 X50 Pro.

The most high-end model was the show-stopper, complete with high-end specs and premium features you'd otherwise find in TVs priced between Rs. 1.5 lakh and Rs. 2 lakh. We had the chance to test the Super4 X50 Pro and explore its worth during our review period, and here's what we think.

LeEco's first TV series in India, the Super3 series, was a great example of fine design and the all-new Super4 X50 Pro is no different. Compared to its predecessor, we found the new TV a lot simpler to set up. The base of the TV is different from the one found in the Super3 models, replacing the wave-like design with two side pillars for a firm grip.

Super4 X50 Pro is slimmer and the bezels have been reduced to give a larger area for display. The 4K resolution screen is a delight to watch high-res 2K videos, which we were able to test independently. The blacks are black and colours come to life in this new television. Compared to the older-gen TV we reviewed, there isn't much of a difference, which is not a bad thing at all. The integrated HDR 10 really makes a good play here, which is a bonus for a TV in this price range.

Justifying the smart tag attached to it, Super4 X50 Pro comes with the Android Marshmallow-based eUI, which runs the show and gives access to the internet-related apps and content on the big screen. We did notice the connectivity was better in Super4 X50 Pro compared to Super3 X65 we reviewed last year.

Be it streaming videos on YouTube or mirroring your smartphone to play games on the television, everything appears to be a breeze on the humungous Super4 X50 Pro. In fact, the overall performance of the television is improved twice as much. The UI is fast, responsive and scrolling through the screen is surprisingly smooth.

We tested a 3D video sample and the Super4 X50 delivered it like any other premium 3D TV, with the 3D glasses that come with it of course. The 3D glasses are light, which do not get uncomfortable even while wearing it for long time, which is quite a concern with some glasses with batteries available in the market.

The Super4 X50 Pro has a 20W Harmon Kardon speaker built in, and you can truly create a home-theater experience in a 10 by 20 hall without external support. The sound is balanced with perfect bass and clarity. You can choose whichever sound profile you want to get the best experience in the house.

The smart TV is accompanied by a smart remote, which has all the functions and operations in simple format. You can directly access the main menu and switch to other options by navigating using the arrow keys in the remote. A dedicated mic button enables voice navigation, but since it only supports Mandarin at the moment, there is no way to use it in India. The cursor button activates a cursor on the screen and you can use the remote's direction to select desirable options on the TV like a PC. Other buttons include, power, settings mute, back and home.

As far as connectivity is concerned, LeEco has left no stone unturned to support all the basics. There are two HDMI ports, USB 3.0 port, audio jack and LAN port to directly plug in your router for a wired internet connection.

We found the Super4 X50 Pro quite impressive overall. There are not too many reasons to not buy this television. But the fact that LeEco's biggest selling point is its content ecosystem, we couldn't access the library of movies and TV shows from LeLive and Levidi as we could in the Super3 series. The content has also disappeared from LeEco smartphones, which makes this quite obvious. But the company is expected to bring the full library soon, and it would be done over OTA so there's not much to worry about there.

If you ask us, LeEco's Super4 X50 Pro is a worthy competitor in the market with its Rs. 86,990 price tag. It is affordable compared to other rivals in the market and throws in a wide bundle of features to more than justify the price tag.

What's really disturbing is LeEco's branding in India, which took a major hit in the recent months. It is going to be a hard sell for LeEco to push too many units off the shelves even with such a package. The company might have a better luck with some promising branding and marketing strategies, but the product is something worth considering on its own.